Hyundai Ioniq hybrid unveiled at Seoul, to rival Toyota Prius

The model will be sold in three hybrid powertrain which is first from Hyundai.

January 14, 2016 18:29 IST

After the teaser image that unveiled the rear-end last week, South Korean car-maker Hyundai Motor unveiled its first dedicated hybrid car, the Ioniq, at capital city Seoul. The first car to be available in electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid powertrains available in a single body type, the Ioniq is based on an all-new platform. The new hybrid car will be pitted against the Toyota Prius hybrid.

Breaking the stereotype of hybrid cars that are not good-looking, the Ioniq comes with cohesive design. To make the car stand apart from the rest of Hyundai cars, the company dropped the Fluidic design language for Ioniq. Then again, the sweptback headlamp and hexagonal grille have a slight similarity to the new Elantra sedan. The rear of the car features slim window panels and a high-positioned rear end that looks like a coupe kind of design. This design helps the car to achieve a drag coefficient of 0.24 Cd.

The hybrid car in its fully-electric (EV) form is powered by a high-capacity lithium-ion battery. The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version combines the fuel-efficient energy with battery power. The hybrid (HEV) utilises the petrol engine and the motion of the car to charge the on-board battery. The four-cylinder 1.6-litre GDI engine works in tandem with a 43bhp electric motor fed by a lithium-Ion polymer battery. The two powertrains have combined maximum output of 139bhp and 265Nm of torque mated to dual-clutch transmission (DCT).

The Ioniq will come with comfort features such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, for the majority of smartphone users, and a 7-inch TFT information cluster. Safety features such as autonomous emergency brake, lane-keeping assist/lane-departure warning system, blind spot detection and seven airbags including a knee-airbag for the driver will part of Ioniq.